Combination can and bottle opener



Dec. 11, 1956 G. R. HARRAH 2,773,272

I COMBINATION CAN AND BOTTLE OPENER United States Patent COMBINATIGN CANAND BOTTLE OPENER George R. Harrah, Essex, Conn.

Application April 5, 1950, Serial No. 154,161 3 Claims. c1. 7-14.25

This invention relates to improvements in can openers. Moreparticularly, the invention is concerned with improvements in thefamiliar type of can opener having a cutting head together with a hookfor catching under the bead of a can and serving as a fulcrum so that bylifting the handle a triangular section of the can top is cut out andpressed down to make an opening for pouring.

It is an object of the invention to provide a can opener of the typeindicated which is more easily handled and possesses greater strengthfor given weight of metal.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a can opener of thetype indicated having improved means for removing bottle caps.

With these and still other objects which will appear in mind, theinvention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts anddetails of construction, which will now first be fully described withreference to the accompanying drawing and then be pointed out moreparticularly in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the can opener;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary views, respectively illustrating the useof the can opener in opening a can and in removing a bottle cap.

The can opener is preferably formed by stamping and drawing out of sheetsteel and may be hardened and plated as desired. It includes a body orhandle section 1 and a cutter head 2 formed with a cutting tip 3. A hook5 is struck down out of the metal of the handle in position to engageunder the bead 6 of a can, as indicated in Figure 5. The body or handlesection 1 is concave upwardly and convex downwardly and the cutter head2 is convex upwardly and concave downwardly, the curvature reversingalong a line 7 between handle 1 and head 2. The hook 5 is preferablystruck down more deeply than usual in this type of opener so that theopener is engaged with a can as indicated in Figure 5, in an almosthorizontal position instead of in a more nearly vertical position, aswith can openers heretofore constructed. By reason of the deep drawingof the hook 5 and by reason of the concavity of the cutter head 2, it ispossible to use the can opener for removing bottle caps of the usualtype, as indicated in Figure 6.

As will be apparent from Figures 1, 3 and 4, the drawing down andconcave formation of the cutter head per-V mits grinding surfaces 10 oneach side of the cutting tip, producing a sharp cutting point which isnevertheless rigid and backed up by metal of heavy section in the lineof application of force.

The handle has an aperture 11 by means of which it 2,773,272 PatentedDec. 11, 1956 may be hung up and this aperture preferably extendsthrough to one side of the handle, as indicated at 12. Cooperatingprojections 13 and 14 are formed for opening a bottle cap and it will beobserved that the bottle cap may be engaged with projection 14 on itstop and projection 13 under its edge with the opener held more or lessfiat instead of on its edge, since the curvature of the handle permitssuch accommodation of the bottle cap. In using the opener for openingeither cans or bottles and regardless of which end is used, the handleformat-ion provides a concave surface within which the thumb restswithout danger of slipping off either edge and a convex lower surfacewhich may be gripped comfortably by the fingers.

The arched construction of the handle as viewed in cross sectionmaterially increases the strength of the opener with metal of givengauge and it is found that the cutter head construction materiallyreduces the force required for opening a can. The relatively great depthof the hook 5 permits the initial force to be applied with the cuttervery nearly horizontal, thus arranging the parts in a position formaximum convenient leverage at the time when the maximum force isrequired in an initial piercing of the can.

The hook 5 is also preferably suflicient-ly deep so that when the canopener is placed on a flat surface, the hook and the handle end willrest flat with the cutting tip slightly off the flat surface. With theelements thus disposed, it becomes possible to package the can opener ina case of beer or the like without fear of accidental puncturing of thecans by the cutting tip, since the hook 5 and the handle end may restagainst a can and hold the cutting tip a slight distance away.

The arched cross-sectional form of the cutting tip results in cuttingedges which are acute in cross section, when the faces adjacent thepoint are shaped to be at right angles to top of a can in cuttingposition. Thus a sharp cutting point and edges are provided even wherethe tip is not ground and the sharpness may be enhanced by grinding,wherever desired.

What is claimed is:

1. A can opener comprising a unitary sheet metal blank shaped to form acutting tip, a handle, and a hook for engaging under a bead of a can toact as a fulcrum for forcing the cutting tip into the top of the can,the handle and tip being arched in cross section reversely to eachother, the tip being concave and the handle convex on the hook side ofthe opener.

2. A can opener according to claim 1, in which the hook extendsdownwardly sufiiciently to permit hooking under a bottle cap with thecutting tip on top of the same.

3. A can opener according to claim 1, in which the cutting tip hascutting edges which are acute in cross section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.160,695 De Fee Oct. 31, 1950 D. 162,082 Preis et a1 Feb. 20, 19511,996,550 Sampson et al. Apr. 2, 1935 2,046,879 Leppke July 7, 19362,099,430 Quea Nov. 16, 1937 2,122,830 Acker July 5, 1938 2,238,178McCory Apr. 15, 1941 2,455,496 Kaskouras Dec. 7, 1948 OTHER REFERENCESMechem, abstract Ser. No. 125,513, published Apr. 17, 1. i

